The Fresno County Milk Inspection Services program ensures that milk produced on Fresno County dairies meets Grade 'A' milk standards. This is accomplished by conducting routine inspections and ongoing milk sampling.

There are currently 116 Grade 'A' cow dairies and 2 Grade 'A' goat dairies in Fresno County. The average herd size per dairy is 750, with over 100,000 dairy animals total in the county.

Fresno County milk is shipped to 8 milk plants where it is processed into the variety of dairy products you purchase at your local grocery store. The largest of these milk-processing plants is California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), the second largest cooperative in the nation. CDI boasts 700 member dairies producing in excess of 48 million pounds of milk per day in California.

Our Milk Inspection Program is overseen by the State of California, Department of Food and Agriculture, Division of Animal Industry, Milk and Dairy Foods Control Branch. Our registered dairy inspectors are responsible for inspecting the dairies and associated facilities that store the raw milk prior to processing while the state agency inspects the milk plants and processed milk.

Any questions or concerns associated with a finished product such as fluid milk, cheese, butter, cream, etc. should be directed to the Fresno County Milk and Dairy Food Safety Branch at (559) 445-5506.

All other concerns or complaints regarding dairies should be directed to our office. Our staff will investigate any complaint received and make the proper referrals if necessary. You may contact our office Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at (559) 600-3357.

Soft Serve Program

The registered dairy inspectors are also responsible for permitting and inspecting approximately 225 facilities in Fresno County that have soft serve ice cream equipment. Routine testing of soft serve samples is done to ensure acceptable bacteriological quality. Information is available on how to properly clean and sanitize your soft serve equipment.

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